EURO 2016: Air France pilots are pleased to call a four-day strike

EURO 2016, the European Football tournament, started in Paris, France. Fans are celebrating the first victory for the French team, while security is high, and the threat of terror feels likes a shadow over EURO 2016. Sports tourists from around Europe and beyond are in France, more are scheduled to arrive.

Air France, the national carrier knows this. Pilots seem less patriotic and try to inflict the most harm in starting a four-day strike that could disrupt plans for thousands of football fans on the second day of the Euro 2016 competition.

Air France has cancelled up to 30% of its flights on Saturday.
The pilots’ union wants the government to scrap new labour laws that will make it easier to hire and fire people.

It is one of many unions taking action – rubbish will not be collected in Paris until Wednesday, train services have only recently resumed after a nine-day strike, and at the end of last month petrol stations ran dry when protesters blockaded oil refineries.
President Francois Hollande has warned unions against disrupting the tournament.

The pilots’ union Spaf (Syndicat des Pilotes d’Air France) says its strike will run from Saturday until Tuesday.
But the company’s chief executive, Frederic Gagey, promised to try and minimise disruption to host cities.